generator size??
- Thread starter ciscomania
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donnievaz
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michaelrc51
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IDK how many times I have seen this question.
There's no way to do this other than calculating the load and getting a generator sized for your needs.
There's no way to do this other than calculating the load and getting a generator sized for your needs.
vic67
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Figure out how much power you need by adding up all the components you use while running the tank; lights, heater(s), pumps, etc. I would buy a generator that could handle all your tank's needs and then some.
redfishbluefish
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It does depend on what size tank and what you're running...and what additional stuff you'd like to power. I have a 90DT with LEDs and two 300W heaters and when we had this little blow come through Jersey by the name of Sandy, my little 3650W generator ran my entire tank (everything), refrigerator, boiler, a couple lights and television for over seven days, 24 hours a day. Realize the larger the generator, the more gas you will consume. If you have common outages, I'd consider a whole house automatic job....which would be much larger.
donnievaz
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It does depend on what size tank and what you're running...and what additional stuff you'd like to power. I have a 90DT with LEDs and two 300W heaters and when we had this little blow come through Jersey by the name of Sandy, my little 3650W generator ran my entire tank (everything), refrigerator, boiler, a couple lights and television for over seven days, 24 hours a day. Realize the larger the generator, the more gas you will consume. If you have common outages, I'd consider a whole house automatic job....which would be much larger.
Do you run it in the shed or just store it? I really like the idea of a dedicated area for the generator. I just keep mine in a shed with a bunch of other crap.
michaelrc51
Active Member
Also realize you can damage well pumps, computers, refrigerators by not supplying them with enough voltage/amperage. I'd reccomend an inverter/generator considering the devices we use for this equipment.
michaelrc51
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Yeah, but even those come in different sizes.
You need to know what your drawing and size the generator to accommodate this.
redfishbluefish
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I didn't have that little shed when it was first used with Sandy. It was purchased after Sandy so that I could have all the necessities in one spot.....extension cords, gas cans, power strips, etc. I know if I didn't do this all the stuff would get scattered and I'd spend a day hunting down everything. With Sandy, the generator was on a side porch of the house....fully open, so carbon monoxide wasn't a concern. However, it was extremely noisy. That generator shed is against the fence all the way in the back of my yard. The plan is, if needed again, the generator would be placed in the center of the shed, doors left open, and the top down. Hopefully the distance will reduce the amount of noise in the house.
And actually the purchase of the shed wasn't planned....but after Sandy we went down to the house in NC for Thanksgiving and Lowe's had a Black Friday sale on this shed. I thought I could fit it in the car.....but it didn't fit. So drove back to NJ with that thing tied to the roof.
I agree with the others; you need to know what the power drain is from everything you want to run..that means all the tank equipment plus anything else in the house you expect to have powered. I had a 22 kilowatt whole-home standby generator installed w/ two 100 gallon propane tanks. Anytime we lose power, I get everything in my house (including 6 fish tanks) fully running again within moments.
RobertP
Active Member
I've been running portable generators for many years while fishing at night. And over that time I have developed an opinion. As othersoon have said you need to know what power draw you need first. Now be honest with yourself, will the genny be used for just the tank or will you plug in the deep freeze, a fan, or even a small window unit? This is very important because too much draw and it overloads and powers down. Most important is to never run over 80% of the RUN rating. Yes they will run higher for short times but if you want it to last then keep it below 80%.
Now also ask yourself if you love your Apex or not. Yeah I know how you feel but you should not run on dirty power to any sensitive equipment. That includes your refrigerator, deep freeze, or computers like your controller. What you need is an inverter generator so you get the cleanest power you can get.
Now they all have a max rating and a run rating but some manufacturers lie about what it can do. That cheapo generator from Harbor Freight is NOT even close to what they say. I bought the $250 4000 watt and it wouldn't even pull 2500. It was a terrible running engine and it was LOUD. Honda is far and away the best on the market and yes they are the most expensive. I tested an es3000 and we ran it up to it max rating and it was still super quiet. Honda just makes excellent amall engines. Yamaha is right behind them. Both start after sitting for months and have a nice big muffler that actually helps. I found a used Yamaha 3500 inverter and it still runs like new. I ran a generac for over 10 years and had hundreds of hours and it always started on the second pull if you remembered to turn off the fuel. I didn't get another only because they are not nearly as quiet as the Honda and Yamaha.
I have seen people build generator boxes for generators and that should only be done if they are designed for a box. RV generators are made to run in a box. Portable gennys will overheat like crazy. This thing is still a controlled explosion and it needs to get rid of that heat. If noise is an issue then buy longer cords and run it further from the house.
Sorry I rambled just thought I could should what little I know.
Now also ask yourself if you love your Apex or not. Yeah I know how you feel but you should not run on dirty power to any sensitive equipment. That includes your refrigerator, deep freeze, or computers like your controller. What you need is an inverter generator so you get the cleanest power you can get.
Now they all have a max rating and a run rating but some manufacturers lie about what it can do. That cheapo generator from Harbor Freight is NOT even close to what they say. I bought the $250 4000 watt and it wouldn't even pull 2500. It was a terrible running engine and it was LOUD. Honda is far and away the best on the market and yes they are the most expensive. I tested an es3000 and we ran it up to it max rating and it was still super quiet. Honda just makes excellent amall engines. Yamaha is right behind them. Both start after sitting for months and have a nice big muffler that actually helps. I found a used Yamaha 3500 inverter and it still runs like new. I ran a generac for over 10 years and had hundreds of hours and it always started on the second pull if you remembered to turn off the fuel. I didn't get another only because they are not nearly as quiet as the Honda and Yamaha.
I have seen people build generator boxes for generators and that should only be done if they are designed for a box. RV generators are made to run in a box. Portable gennys will overheat like crazy. This thing is still a controlled explosion and it needs to get rid of that heat. If noise is an issue then buy longer cords and run it further from the house.
Sorry I rambled just thought I could should what little I know.
